Hands of Time
by Azure Ryukiba
Summary: Alone and on the run, Elle makes the jump of her life into 1481 Italy. Can she figure out why she is here, and put up with the hansome assassin without going completely insane? AC/Jumper xover


**And we're back, well restarting... I've changed some things in here so this chapter is a bit diffrent than the origonal. And sorry to say Ezio isn't going to be here till ch 2 maybe 3 at latest. Lets do this whoo!**

Hands of Time

_To who ever may find this letter,_

_Trust and Compassion, two words that I never thought to use. Two words that described what all human beings should feel for another. I thought I'd end up alone, bitter, with no one to trust; No one since the murder of my mentor and parents before him. Fear is the way I lived my life from day to day, fear of everyone and the shadows that hid my pursuers. I suppose since you are reading this now, that I may be dead, murdered like my family, and so many of those like me. Or maybe I've found happiness somewhere, finally able to live a normal life._

_The reason that I live the life of a recluse, I am a Jumper. A human with special abilities to be anywhere I wish at the drop of a hat. My story happens to cross paths with another, the one that fights to protect even you, now in this modern day and age. The most irritating and infuriating man in the world, my best friend and brother in arms. _

_Even now I laugh at how eccentric all of this is. But please, listen carefully to what I have to say. If you do not, the very fabric of reality may fall out of balance. For this letter contains the location of the Piece of Eden; Hands of time..._

_My sincerest regards;_

_Eleanor R. Patrick _

_Several years before..._

You could call me a wander, or just plain paranoid. I can't stay in one spot for long. If I do then that would be the end of me; as I sit here playing my guitar like a starving college student while people pass by. Some placing money in my open guitar case, others just scoffing and telling me to get a real job. They can all kiss my ass, both sides I couldn't care less to be honest. If given the chance they would try to kill me, or take me to a lab for experimentation.

Just for having a small, well major, difference between us I'm marked for death. Something that I can't even control. I was born with it, the same way I was born with my eye color. I can be anywhere in the world at any given time if I wish, and that warrants my head on a silver platter.

Silently as I had came I packed away my guitar and gathered up my loose change. I could buy a burger on my way back to the place I'm staying. Making my way around the side of the building, I vanished in an invisible cloud of smoke. Grabbing a quick bite to eat I made it back to my temporary home on the outskirts of town.

I needed to find a new place to stay soon, my rent was ending and I've been in this city for to long already. It was becoming unsafe to stay here any longer. Walking inside I could hear a faint noise coming from the living room. A light flashed from the television inside, the program on flickering from what ever scene to another. I hadn't remembered leaving it on before I left... Laying my keys down quietly I sneak around the corner, ready to apprehend the intruder that possibly stood inside. Looking around no one was there.

The lights were all off, excluding the T.V. I walk up to it, hunting the remote laying where I had left it on the arm of the sofa. "History channel...?" I curled up my lip watching as the images flashed past, the narrator talking about some 'Lorenzo de- de'me...' who-ever the fuck.

"Finally we meet..." I whip around ready to bolt if needed. In the doorway three men stood, one older with peppered hair the others quite young in comparison. Before I could move I was hit from the side by a forth man, the electric net wrapping around my torso. Ever been tazed before? Well that has nothing on this. My body convulsed as I tried to jump, but with the current running through my body making it near imposable. "You almost gave us the slip girl, do you know how far we came. Just to see you?" His mocking tone betrayed his malice towards me and what I am.

Sneering I grit back a scream. "What do you want... from me..." My muscles all began locking up and relaxing simultaneously all over as little jolts continued to bombard my body. Shaking his head the man reached back, pulling a giant butcher knife from his belt. I choke on my saliva watching as he tossed it between his hands, all of my courage in trying to be intimidating fleeing like a coward. Taking a few more strides he knelt before my collapsed body, dragging me to my knees by the collar of my dress.

"It will all be over soon. Do not be afraid." He kept his voice even, and uncaring about what he was about to do.

"This is murder..."

Shaking his head never breaking eye contact he spoke gravely again, as though he could care less. "It is not murder when a cow is killed, you are nothing more than an abomination to this world. God is the only one that should have power to be everywhere at once..."

His knife rested on his knee as he shoved me back to the floor. Looking up I watched the last thing I would ever see, history and I was about to _be _history if I didn't do something. One man's foot connected with my stomach, causing me to bend into a ball.

"-_According to some recent scholarship the 'father of modern science' is Leonardo Da Vinci whose experiments and clear scientific method earn him this...-" _Then images began to flash of several cities, ones that I had seen time and time again. Beautiful places all of them, then one that I hadn't ever seen before. An old city by the looks of things. Beaten and broken down just like I was becoming from kick after kick. The torture was soon ending, the older man finally stopping what the others had started. A dull ringing in my ears the only thing keeping me awake.

He rolled me onto my back, my head rolling to the side, gaze still focusing on the city it showed. So close but so far away. She still stood through the ages, unwilling to let time or man destroy her. "**Damn it all**!" I scream, the older man began to drive his knife down toward me. For no reason seen he and the other three fell backwards, furniture being tossed around the room, glass breaking and it all went silent, save for the ringing in my ears. Nothingness is what I felt as I drifted off into my own little world. It wrapped around me like a mother's comforting arms dragging me down. It wasn't death, this was a feeling that I knew all to well. I had escaped for now, but to where I don't remember.

The difference in this jump became strange all to soon. It wasn't supposed to last this long... maybe I really was dead and this is 'heaven' that the Paladin's preach about. Minutes, hours, months, and years all seemed to float by. I couldn't tell up from down or life from death now. It ended when I felt the warmth of the setting sun on my arms. The last of my vision failed me as I stared at the open country side and city walls before me. My body gave out, falling limply to the dirt road. I was alive for a little bit longer... a strange feeling inside telling me it was alright... at least for a few more moments...

"...she... ing... up..." My head throbbed painfully hearing the voice. I grumbled wanting the talking to stop, but it didn't. "She's awake, Nico!" A cool rag was placed to my forehead, and I could feel bandages tied tight against my arms and torso. The burning feeling from the net fading dully under what ever these people had done. I tried to breathe deeply through my nose, it had been hit badly but thankfully wasn't broken. I tried opening my eyes, but the light in the room plus their sheer heaviness made it unfeasible.

I could barely hear the man in the room talking, to me or the woman I can't be sure. Both of their worried voices faded in and out so much it made listening to them far to confusing. When I could hear again it was quiet. _Must have fallen asleep... _Opening my eyes slowly I looked at the bare wall beside me. My stiff body ached from multiple reasons... I didn't even get a proper bed to rest in. Trying to sit up I just fell back to the straw covered mat, rolling over holding my middle. I couldn't even get over the ache in my entire body enough to jump. This place was unknown and unsafe.

"Here child, drink this. It will help with your ailments." I was unable to contort my face into a glare and incapable to fight as the man lifted my head helping me to drink the strange contents of something I didn't know. The bitterness hit my tongue instantly, traveling down to my stomach leaving my throat warm. Choking I sputtered on the last of the liquid as he pulled the cup away and lay me back the way I had been.

"Nico, is she alright?" The woman stood behind him as I narrowed my eyes lazily.

"Go on back to sleep, Dalila." He stood leaving my line of site the woman followed behind him giving me one last worried glance. My arm felt like lead as I lifted it to my eyes draping it over them trying to ignore where ever I had sent myself.

Several days had passed and I still couldn't sit up on my own. My body shook violently whenever I had tried and just gave out. I wanted to run from the house, get somewhere I would deem safe, but my legs couldn't carry my weight. I rolled to the ground weakly, cursing madly as I tried to right myself. Dalila had heard me yelling at my weakness, and had gotten Nico to place me back into the bed.

That was a scene that played out everyday. I can't stand this, I've never felt so weak, and I don't want to rely on people that will end up betraying me in the end. Each time I yell and curse at Nico he just smiles and tells me that I'll be better soon.

"_Damn you to hell_!" I scream as my fists hit the wooden floor. "A_ghhh_!" Gasping for breath I fall down completely. If these people have neighbors I wonder how many have run to the police thinking they were torturing someone... Nico and Dalila stood in the doorway, watching me screech in defeat. "G_et up you useless bitch_!" I screamed pushing myself to my knees again. I can't believe that I'd let those bastards make me so weak. I will show them, I will hunt them down and make them suffer as badly as they have made me. I will make them suffer my humiliation, they had caused it and they would receive it back!

My knees buckled as I stood against the wall. Nico finally had enough watching me torture myself, and grabbed onto my shoulders. His words were drown out by my self loathing rage. He didn't take much to be pushed out of my way, but one step later my legs gave out on me again. His arms held me up, and gentility sat me to the floor again. With one last scream I let him carry me the few feet back to the mat, and lay there motionless glaring up at the ceiling.

I acted like a royal pain in the ass to the couple, and didn't care one bit. I kept them up at all hours of the night, screaming and cussing. They never said a word to me about it. The two only helped me when I had finally given up fighting for the day. As soon as I can walk again, I plan on leaving the couple far behind and only a distant memory.

"Leave me alone, damn you!" I growled as Dalila began unwrapping my old bandages. She sat silently beside me. Jerking my arm away she just pulled it back to herself, flicking the end of my nose like a misbehaving puppy. I blinked at her and returned to glaring hatefully. But otherwise kept still and my mouth closed.

"Your wounds look much better." She wiped away the dried stuff she had put on it earlier. "You shouldn't need to wear these any longer." Smiling she sat the unneeded bandages aside patting me on the head. "Dear don't make that face." She laughed as I rolled my eyes. I just don't get these two, they act as though my harsh words and anger don't affect them.

Most normal people would just throw me out on the street as soon as I'd opened my mouth if I spoke to them the way I had these two. What made these two so indifferent to my treatment toward them. I was curious, but I didn't care either."Eleanor, please you can relax around my husband and I."

"How do you know my name!" I barked at the older woman. She nodded her head toward my guitar case... I had kept that all through what had happened? She left for only a moment to grab it from under several piles of cloth. Sitting the case down on the edge of the mat, I looked at the marks on the leather case. I partially wonder if this is why I managed to escape in the first place... Tracing a black line I stared at it until I came to the golden seal on the side. It held my name, the only possession I held that had it... Opening it I found my guitar still inside, and unharmed. It made me feel much better knowing that the instrument was safe still.

"So the box does open..." Looking up at her as I closed the latch back I raised an eyebrow. Huffing I went back to ignoring the woman, and she went on about her business around the house. The smells of freshly baking bread in the oven filled my nose. I still don't understand why these people chose to live like this. It would be my luck to end up in a third world country...

_Two days later..._

"Damn-it..." I muttered leaning against a wall. I panted heavily trying to remain on my feet. I managed to sneak away from Nico and Dalila during the night and finally get out on my own. I push away from the stone wall and hobble along stumbling over myself every few feet. I finally managed to make it to the edge of a roof, staring down at the ground some ten feet below me. I lift my eyes to see the next roof only three feet away. It shouldn't take much effort to make it in just a single jump.

Taking a breath I concentrate on the other side, and take a step forward. I phase out slightly but don't make the jump. Biting back a scream I began to fall only barely catching the edge of the building. My arms shake as I try to lift myself back over and onto the solid stone. I try to attempt a jump but only flicker slightly causing me to lose my grip. "Ah-!"

My world blanked out as I hit the ground. Rolling over on my back I waited for the stars to pass from my vision. This just couldn't get any worse... I smell, I hurt, I'm sweaty, I can't jump and I'm pissed the hell off, more so than usual. This is worse than death, I can't even fend for myself, but I refuse to go back to that couple. I'd already managed to barely get away from them, no chance in hell am I crawling back.

My nails dug into the grimy stone, and I pull myself to sit. There's no way in hell I'm going to try that again until I know I'm able to even do anything at all. I run my hand over my left arm, plucking pebbles from my skin and tracing a checkered pattern singed into my skin. "Fucking Paladins..."

I rolled the sleeves of my shirt down, I didn't want to look at my arms or the insult that was burned into me, on both arms and across my chest. I limped to my feet giving another cuss, I hobbled along dragging my guitar behind me.


End file.
